Fredericton – New Brunswick Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon is calling on the Higgs government to provide support for those small businesses, such as cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars hit hardest by the second wave of the COVID and the public health measures needed to fight it.

“Businesses in the hospitality and accommodations sector are really struggling, especially those dealing with orange phase rules.  Should any region have to return to red, businesses in the fitness sector will join them.” said Coon. “It is time for the Premier to help those businesses as his colleagues in Nova Scotia and PEI have done.”

Coon is calling on the Premier to do three things:

1. Create a grant program of up to $5,000 per month to support small, independently owned dine-in restaurants, bars, and fitness and leisure establishments impacted by public health directives in the orange zones, or potential future red zones.
   
   
2. Create a Workspace Adaption Assistance Fund to retroactively offer grants for small businesses for expenses that were directly related to implementing safety measures of a COVID-19 operational plan.
   
   
3. Help small businesses reduce their costs by supporting energy efficiency upgrades with targeted loans and technical advice designed to achieve 15% to 35% savings on their energy bills.  This will also create work for local trades people and business for local suppliers.

“It is in the public interest for our local economies to weather the COVID storm, so public investment in the small businesses most affected by COVID measures is urgently needed,” said Coon.  “Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies and need our support.